Thermocouple mounting devices are well known in the industry. One common type of mounting device is a bayonet mount. This type of mounting device utilizes a cap with one or more L-shaped slots. The cap is mounted to the thermocouple. The cap is received over an end of a shank, which has at least one radially outwardly extending pin that is received within the L-shaped slot. The shank is generally mounted to an object that is to monitor temperature. Spring tension is applied to maintain that the cap and the shank are interlocked. A second type of connection is a screw in device, that is simply a threaded shank which includes the thermocouple extend therethrough. The shank is threadably received in a threaded receptacle or well. Wrench flats may be provided at one end of the shank for use of a wrench to position the thermocouple in connection with a contact surface found in the receptacle.
A third type of thermocouple mounting device can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,327 which issued to Katchka on Jan. 4, 2000, that shows a push-in snap securement device that has radially projecting fingers interengageable with a shoulder inside a receptacle. A spring is provided to maintain contact between a portion of the thermocouple and an electrical contact. In this case, the thermocouple sensor end is at the opposite end of the electrical contact end of the thermocouple assembly.
While generally effective, such known thermocouple mounts have significant drawbacks. They require a combination of various parts which increase costs and necessitates additional labor to make an assembly or to effect mounting of the thermocouple. Thermocouple mounts also, at times, requires a certain level of dimensional precision in order to ensure proper operation which can also increase costs, both for the product itself and the additional labor to effect proper assembly and testing to ensure proper operation.
When used with fuel control units, for example, the female receptacle is complex and expensive to manufacture as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,327. Fuel control units are used to control the flow of fuel to burners, e.g., those found in gas water heaters and furnaces. Usually, such receptacles are made of relatively soft material and are easily damaged by cross threading, a tightening tool, dropping, and the like. While the push in-type thermocouple coupling device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,327 is effective, it is relatively expensive and difficult to affect a repair of the thermocouple system. Screw in-type thermocouple mounts may also be damaged on the wrench flats during installation and are at times difficult to loosen which may also damage the shank particularly when the shank is made of a soft material. However, screw in-type shanks reduce the probability of accidental dislodgement of the thermocouple mounts from its desired monitoring position. When the thermocouple mounts extend out of the bottom of the unit when installed, repair is difficult because of the upside down orientation. Machining of a thermocouple retainer such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,327 is complex and expensive.
There is a need for a reliable thermocouple mounting device that is less complex to manufacture and utilize. The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.